The design of cubicles in dairy housing directly determines whether cows can lie down and rise naturally, with poor design causing injury, restricted lying time, and lameness.
Cubicle welfare design is a technical welfare problem with measurable solutions: cows in well-designed cubicles with appropriate dimensions and bedding lie for longer, have fewer hock injuries, and show better hoof health. The welfare evidence is clear — cubicle design standards from AHDB and similar bodies provide specific dimensions that accommodate 95% of cow body sizes. Implementation gaps between knowledge and practice mean millions of cows still lie in inadequate cubicles causing preventable suffering.